OCPP Staff Members

Charles "Chuck" Sheketoff, Executive Director.

Chuck Sheketoff is a founder of the Oregon Center for Public Policy. The OCPP was established due to the "public interest pioneer award" Chuck received from the Stern Family Fund in September, 1997. Prior to coming to the OCPP, Chuck lobbied the Oregon State Legislature on behalf of legal aid clients (1993, 1995) and the Oregon Law Center (1997). He represented the interests of recipients of Aid to Dependent Children (now called Temporary Assistance to Needy Families), food stamps, Medicaid/Oregon Health Plan, General Assistance and long-term care programs. Chuck is intimately familiar with Oregon's welfare system and has been a knowledgeable and harsh critic of state and federal welfare reform. He has also been actively involved in lobbying for changes to Oregon's tax system, and in 1997 he took the lead to help create two new tax credits for the working poor: the state earned income tax credit and the working family child care tax credit.
Contact: csheketoff (at) ocpp.org

Janet Bauer, Policy Analyst.

Janet Bauer analyzes health policy, including implementation of the Affordable Care Act in Oregon, and safety net programs such as Temporary Assistance to Needy Families and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. She also analyzes employment data and labor issues. Prior to 2011 Janet headed up OCPP’s federal policy and advocacy work. Janet joined OCPP in 2005 and holds a masters degree in Urban Studies from Portland State University.
Contact: jbauer (at) ocpp.org

Randi Embree, Office Manager.

In May 2007, Randi brought years of varied experience to OCPP. In her private life Randi lives on an 88-acre farm with her family where they raise grass-fed beef and sheep.
Contact: rembree (at) ocpp.org

Jason Gettel, Policy Analyst.

Jason holds a master’s degree in political science from the University of Oregon and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Michigan State University. While at U of O, Jason’s graduate research focused on social, economic and political obstacles facing immigrant communities and he served as the content editor for an academic journal. In addition to his academic pursuits, he has also worked with at-risk children through the City of Eugene and as an AmeriCorps volunteer in rural Colorado. Jason’s association with OCPP began as a research assistant in the summer of 2010.
Contact: jgettel (at) ocpp.org

Juan Carlos Ordóñez, Communications Director.

Juan Carlos Ordóñez is a lawyer by training who brings a wide array of experiences to OCPP. Upon his graduation from Harvard Law School in 1995, he practiced complex commercial litigation in New York City. He left the practice of law after six years and returned to his native Guatemala, where he supported numerous civic projects, many of which focused on the sustainable development of indigenous communities. Juan Carlos has also worked as a freelance journalist for English- and Spanish-language publications. He joined OCPP in September of 2007.
Contact: jcordonez (at) ocpp.org